Matt Ayyash is proof that hard work pays off as he has become Nova Scotia's first and only deaf soccer referee
Matt Ayyash loves soccer.
He also happens to be deaf, but that hasn't kept him on sidelines as he's become the first and only deaf referee in Nova Scotia.
Ayyash, who was born in Jerusalem, is proof that hard work pays off.
After moving to Canada when he was 13 years old, he got involved in several different sports growing up.
"It wasn't until five years ago that I got the idea to become a soccer referee," Ayyash said through interpreter Mae Smithman. "I remember thinking that I wanted to be a ref and I was like, 'but can I?' When I decided to become a referee there was a lot of people that would comment, and they're like 'you're gonna become a ref, but your deaf. How is that gonna work?' And I was like 'I don't know but I'm gonna try.'"
His brother, Mike Ayyash, said Matt is "a really determined person."
"Since we were kids, he never saw his lack of hearing as a disability, he thinks more about what he can do and not what he can't do," Mike Ayyash said.
Carman King is a fellow referee with Soccer Nova Scotia.
"When Matt first approached me about being a referee he said 'I'd like to take the course. How far do you think I can go. Do you think I can be a referee?' and the answer was, 'of course you can be a referee, it's just a matter of do you want to be and how eager are you to be involved in this?"
King says it's difficult to know what limitations, if any, there might be for Ayyash.
"He has met all the expectations on him he has not found a barrier yet to being able to advance," King said.
Ayyash says there was a somebody from another province who contacted him about a deaf child who had seen him.
"(The child) had seen me and started to look up to me, and was really excited to see deaf ref," Matt Ayyash said. "So in that sense, I guess I am a role model. I just want to use the access that I'm given in order to show the world that deaf people can do things, it's not about whether you're hearing or you're deaf, it's about your abilities."
His brother, Mike is proud of him.
"It just shows that there's no barrier that you can't overcome if you put your mind to it," Mike Ayyash said. "It's an inspiration, really, not only to us but to anybody who's passionate about something and they want to do it."
Matt Ayyash says it's important for people with disabilities to know that their disability shouldn't be an obstacle.
"Whatever your passion is, if you have it, go ahead and do it," Matt Ayyash said. "It doesn't matter if you have a disability or you're deaf. Don't make it an excuse."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.